


One Wide Expanse

by jesterlady



Series: BTVS/DW Crossover [2]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Crossover, Ensemble Cast, F/M, Gen, One Shot, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Time Travel, Timey-Wimey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-03
Updated: 2011-11-03
Packaged: 2017-10-25 16:03:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/272141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesterlady/pseuds/jesterlady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor and Martha wrap up their muddling in Spike's timeline and take the Scoobies for a Tardis trip.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Wide Expanse

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sweet Charity Auction.  
> Disclaimer: I don't own BTVS or DW. The title is by John Keats

Buffy had been living a grand life for the last three years and eight apocalypses. Since Spike had returned to her and they’d all gotten a chance to recover from the loss of their people, she’d felt free.

It had started when she didn’t have to be the only Slayer anymore and they’d left Sunnydale a literal hellhole.

But now that she had Spike and her sister and her friends around her and she didn’t have as much responsibility, it was like heaven. Not quite the heaven she had known, but enough that it made life worth living. She’d never be able to stop slaying, that’s who she was, but now it was less destiny and more choice.

They’d started off the day with a cup of blood and coffee as per usual. Dawn had gotten home for her spring break from school the night before and hadn’t dragged herself out of bed yet. Giles and Willow were in town for a conference and Xander had dropped in just because he could. It was like old times, she thought, as she elbowed Spike before he could take the last strip of bacon. He smirked at her and showed her the other three he’d sneaked while she hadn’t been looking. Oh, how she loved him.

“What, no breakfast left?” Dawn had finally made her way downstairs. 

“Gotta rise and shine with the sun, Nibblet,” Spike said.

“Says the vampire,” the girl grumbled.

“Yeah, says the vampire.” 

Spike got up, bringing in her favorite pancakes.

“I so knew you’d done that.” Dawn tucked in as there was a knock at the door. 

Willow and Xander had picked up Giles and brought him over to say hello before heading out into the countryside.

“Sure you don’t want to come?” Willow cajoled Buffy. “I promise ancient fun and no need to memorize dates for later tests.”

“Gosh, Will, just what I always wanted. But I’ve got class and besides, I don’t want to go without Spike.”

“Can’t the undead go where they like after sundown by themselves?” Xander asked without real malice. 

It had taken awhile, but the axe had mostly been buried between him and Spike.

“Xander, let’s not be too hasty in our-” Giles’ words were cut short by a semi-familiar sound.

“Spike, is that?” Dawn whispered.

“Yup,” Spike answered with a look of pure joy on his face. “That’s him.”

Spike leapt at the blue box before it had completely materialized and practically mauled the Doctor when he stepped out.

“Easy there, Spike. You must think I’ve got lots of time to get this suit wrinkle-free, because there’s surprisingly not enough of it, even with the Tardis and it’s already taken a beating from the Twersdians today. Hello.”

“It’s about bloody time you showed up again. It’s been three years.”

“Has it? Martha, how long has it been for us?” 

The Doctor turned to his companion who had exited the Tardis and immediately jumped into Spike’s arms.

“Definitely less. Only about six months, but six months too long. It’s so good to see you. All of you,” she said, turning to the rest. “But you’ll have to forgive me; I missed this bloke a lot.”

“What is this effect he has on females?” Xander said to Willow. He wasn't surprised by the strange blue box having been briefed on its existence with Spike's return. “Is it an inherent vampire thing or did he learn it somewhere and can I go there too?”

“Sorry, mate, it’s all natural,” Spike said, flashing him some teeth.

“He’s a bit like Jack, wouldn’t you say, Martha?” asked the Doctor. 

“A bit, but if anything he’s more conventional. Sorry,” Martha said to Spike.

“Anything but conventional, Futurama,” Spike retorted. “Now, we getting a ride this time?”

“Right, down to business. Well, yes. Got a bit of a bother on a planet and wanted your help.” The Doctor turned to Giles. “A bit of translating and only about an infinitesimal amount of danger, so how’s a bit of sight seeing on the Moon of Boondagon? Have you home in time for tea.”

“We don’t really do tea,” Buffy said. “My, you’ve got British friends,” she said to Spike.

“British! Me? How utterly…” and the Doctor stopped at the look Martha gave him. “Well, I suppose I have picked up some of the traits, blimey. Well, I guess Peri had it right after all. Still, never mind, loads of other cultures to meld into. Coming?”

“I’m not missing the chance,” Spike said, catching hold of Buffy’s hand. “This one’s always on for adventure.”

“Still, I really do need him,” the Doctor said, pointing at Giles. “Got the brain thing, not that I don’t have one of my own, certainly do and far superior, no offense, but that’s just the Timelord genetics even if I am far ahead of my race, well, was, well, anyway. Allons-y then.”

“I can’t wait!” Dawn squeed. “I wish I could tell everyone I was going to a different planet.”

“Will it be safe for her?” Buffy asked.

“Just as safe as it will be for any of us,” Martha assured her. “With the Doctor comes danger, but if with the danger you have the Doctor, you’re in the best hands you could possibly want.”

“Thanks for that,” the Doctor said, squeezing her hand. “Now let’s go before I die of old age which is quite an accomplishment in my case, oh, I guess our cases.” 

He gestured at Spike as they all trooped aboard the Tardis.

***

“This is so unreal,” Dawn said as the Tardis hurtled through time and space.

“Probably not even possible,” Xander agreed, looking with awe at the console.

“Every day something becomes more possible,” the Doctor said. “Do you know how many times I’ve met myself? And ships come crashing into here and brides and everything else.”

“Good old Donna,” Martha said softly. 

The Doctor looked at her and they shared a pained smile before he went back to his piloting.

“Do you think magic works on other planets?” Willow asked Buffy quietly.

“It works well enough in the past with aliens, so you’ll probably be all right,” Martha said. “But don’t get him on about DNA replication modules.”

“I’m busy and didn’t hear that,” the Doctor said. “Now, outside those doors is a peaceful moon where the most ancient scrolls in the universe are housed. But there are some that they’ve never been able to translate and since Boondagon is quite similar to Earth in culture and languages, I thought you could help me out.”

“Well, I must say, I’m quite anxious to see how useful I may be. The idea of translating another world’s manuscripts. I’m quite giddy, actually.”

“Ah, Giles’ dance of translating joy,” Xander said. “We sadly see it less and less as the translations become less and less hard to do. Doctor, I do believe you might have given him reason to live again.”

“Honestly,” Giles huffed, cleaning his glasses. 

His three young students laughed.

Dawn had opened the Tardis door. There was a whooshing sound and she quickly slammed it shut again.

“Um, peaceful? I think you may want to see this.” 

The Doctor swung the viewing screen around in dismay.

“What? What? What! Every time,” he muttered. “Well, fire and brimstone, quite natural environment I’d say.”

“When you’re around,” Martha supplied.

“But it looks safe enough where we are, but I’m going to dematerialize inside the temple. Be safer that way.”

“Thank you,” Buffy said, seemingly on behalf of Dawn. 

Dawn glared at her sister, but obviously didn’t really mind not running through the chaos she’d just witnessed outside.

“Those are aliens!” Willow said in shock as they exited the Tardis for real. “Real and all alien and alien-alike.”

“So are you,” the Doctor said in passing. 

He nodded to the priests of the temple, who were virtually human on the outside, apart from a blue ridge down each check.

“Doctor, thank goodness you’ve come.”

“Ah, this is Kironius, head priest. He’s the one who asked me to come and look at the scrolls. This is, well, a bunch of humans, anyway, sounds like things have heated up since your message. What’s the problem?”

“There is a dragon! While exploring the caves of Boondagon West, our people discovered strange shapes such as we have never seen before. They appeared somewhat familiar to those who have read the ancient scrolls. They were brought back for analysis, but since then the dragon erupted into being and we are helpless before its onslaught. A very good thing it is that you have come.”

“Right, well, lead on to the scrolls. Got just the chap here to look at them.”

Kironius led Giles and the Doctor to a back room. The Doctor took a gander at the scrolls and passed them over to Giles.

“Those seem pretty basic, you’ll crack them; in the meantime, I’ve got to see about the dragon.”

“I’ll help Giles,” Dawn volunteered. “That is my major after all. But I’m just doing it for you and when there’s no more dragon,” she told Buffy. “I want an alien tour.”

“You’ll get one,” the Doctor said, winking. “I like tours. Except of cheese factories. That was very dull.”

“Doctor, I’m going to help with the wounded, I see our friend Clarion there,” Martha said, pointing. “He’ll put me to work in no time at all.”

“That’s my Doctor,” the Doctor said, hugging her. “Be careful, no heroics or donating your own blood and you better come back to me.”

“Be careful, no heroics or donating your own brain matter and you better come back to me!” she said in return. 

Xander jogged along with her.

“Mind if I come along? I might get squeamish, but I’m not really that great at dragon slaying or book learning.”

“You do all right,” Martha said. “Spike told me a lot about you.”

“That’s really not encouraging,” Xander said. “We don’t exactly qualify for BFF status.”

“He had a lot to deal with when he was with us,” Martha said softly. “He regretted a lot of his actions and I think he saw very clearly what his life was. He sees more clearly than most people, I found that out quick, something I think you have in common.”

“Thanks,” Xander said, just before they reached the alien Martha had pointed out before. 

The alien hugged Martha and touched his forehead to hers before doing the same to Xander. He looked at her in discomfort, but she simply smiled at him.

“Now, what can we do?”

***

“What are you going to do?” Spike asked the Doctor as he strode out into the open areas of the city, smoke darkened the sky even as the raging fires made it possible to see.

“Dragons are largely telepathic; I’ll be able to communicate with it.”

“The dragon’s on the north side,” Willow said. 

The Doctor looked at her sharply. She smiled.

“I’ve got my own experience with telepathy.”

“That’s quite good. Now, stay close and let’s go dragon hunting.”

“Honey, you have the best friends,” Buffy said, holding Spike’s hand as they ran.

He simply grinned at her.

“Stay back,” the Doctor said as they approached the dragon. 

They could hear the sound of flames and calls for help.

“Here’s what we do,” the Doctor said. “Willow, I want you to employ a low level telepathic blocking field around yourself, mask your form to the dragon, you can start getting those people out of there. Buffy, Spike, I may need you to fight, but only as a last resort. This dragon could just be confused and unable to understand what it’s doing. I’m going to reach inside its mind.”

“Why didn’t I bring weapons on my alien vacation?” Buffy asked sadly. 

“I’ve got a stake,” Spike said. 

“Yeah, that’ll work real well on a dragon, I’m betting.”

“When Angel…when that caveman went for the dragon, he had a sword, it helped though not perfectly,” Spike said haltingly. 

Buffy squeezed his hand.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“No, it wasn’t,” the Doctor said. “Didn’t we go over that a million times?

“You’re one to talk,” Spike muttered rebelliously. 

The Doctor ignored him.

“Now, here.” He reached into his pockets and pulled out two swords, tossing them to his companions. “Thought you might need these.”

“How?” Buffy asked, astonished. “A spell?”

“They’re bigger on the inside,” Spike said. “Daft magician,” he shouted to the Doctor as the roar of the dragon grew louder.

“That’s it, that’s it,” the Doctor said, concentrating. “Come on, come closer. We’re not going to hurt you. It’s all good.”

“Kill, blood, anger.” 

Words came hurtling into the Doctor’s mind.

“What do you want?”

“Mine, my own. Give me. Hate, kill, blood.”

“What’s yours? What happened to you?”

“Loss, blood, pain. Sleeping, sleeping. Not fair.”

“Specifics, tell me what happened.”

***

Buffy and Spike watched as the Doctor’s face rapidly changed as he conversed with the dragon. Willow ran past them, levitating victims of the collapsed house. They hastened to help.

***

“That’s very interesting,” Giles said, pointing out a certain section to Dawn. “There appears to have been a great sickness at one point in their history. So many people were lost it was feared there would be none left. Those who did survive wrote down this account so there would be remembrance, but there was a great migration to the other side of the planet. The scrolls must have been lost and the memory of them forgotten until the planet was repopulated years later.”

“What does that mean?” Dawn asked. “Sickness wouldn’t have anything to do with dragons, right?”

“No, but if I look further back,” Giles said, thumbing carefully through the ancient scrolls, “I can find accounts from before the sickness about great danger and flame. Dragon like certainly. The author here appears to be greatly concerned about maintaining some sort of field. This goes back a long way, my goodness. Here it talks about how they settled on the moon in the first place.”

“That probably won’t help.”

“Probably no- Wait, oh dear. I think there’s been something missing on this moon for a long time.”

“What’s that?”

“An r. The original settlers named this place Boondragon, not Boondagon.”

“Oh, well, that changes things.”

***

“I can help you. You don’t need to ravage and destroy.”

“Must revenge. Kill, hurt, maim.”

“Whatever happened to you, it’s not worth this. I can give you your own planet. Just stop the killing.”

“This is my planet. Stand aside. Kill.”

“I warn you, I will stop you.”

“Doctor!” shouted Buffy as the dragon suddenly opened its mouth and fire rained over their hands. 

She knocked the Doctor to the ground. She and Spike leapt into the foreground.

“Now this is what we’re good at, Doc,” Spike said, ducking under the dragon’s tail. 

“Be careful!” the Doctor shouted. “I’ll try to hold its mind.”

“Anything helps,” Buffy shouted, slashing her sword at the underbelly. 

The dragon roared in pain. Spike grinned in approval as he rushed to her side. 

The Doctor stood back, fighting with his entire mind to keep the dragon’s mind occupied, not letting it use its own telepathy against the blonde pair that stood against it. Even as he did, he cringed at the horrible choice that had to be made. The dragon, for lack of a better word, since it was technically a carnivorous reptilian life form with a self heating system and wings, was a magnificent creature and simply lashing out in pain. He didn’t want it to have to die. But having been in the creature’s mind, he knew that death was the only option left.

Buffy let out a cry of pain as she stumbled to the ground, Spike crouched in front of her until she could get up again. The Doctor’s mind was at breaking point as the dragon was using its vastly superior mass to counteract the superior training of the Doctor. 

Buffy’s arm was broken and Spike was limping, but he kept on, insane with the need to kill the dragon. The Doctor knew after traveling with him that it was not to prove that he was just as good as Angel, but to prove that Angel need not have died in vain. 

The Doctor gave a last push with all his might and the dragon turned to him fully, ignoring Buffy and Spike. Buffy threw Spike her sword and he rolled underneath the dragon and pierced its heart. The great creature gave a last cry. The Doctor stumbled to the floor as the dragon died, leaving his mind.

“Spike, get out of there!” 

Buffy ran forward and pulled Spike out from underneath the toppling dragon. They fell to the floor beside the Doctor, panting.

Willow ran up to them, her eyes glowing, before fading back to their normal color.

“Are you all right? There’s no one else left and the aliens are putting out the fires.”

“Good, swell, nice to have you along,” the Doctor said, before blanking out.

“Let’s get him to Martha,” Spike said, scooping up the Doctor. “She knows more than I do.”

***

“What did he do this time?” Martha asked almost cavalierly, despite the secret fear that pounded through her body whenever the Doctor was unconscious.

“Telepathy, overstrained himself,” Willow said. “That’s my guess, without really knowing.”

“I think you’re qualified enough,” Martha said, checking the Doctor’s vitals.

“Oh, um, thanks.” Willow blushed. “I think I’ll go see what Giles found out.”

“You two, into the chairs,” Martha said. “I’ll get to you in a minute.”

Spike and Buffy thankfully sat down.

Martha called the Doctor’s name, massaged his temples for a moment and then splashed some water on his face. He jerked upright.

“Do you have to do the water bit every time?” he asked.

“Yup. I told you, every time you scare me like that you’re getting doused and good.”

“You’re marvelous,” he said, kissing her forehead with great enthusiasm and jumping out of the bed. “Off to see Giles and his brain.”

“Right, you two,” Martha said. “Get over here and we’ll patch you up.”

“I can’t even call you Nightingale, since that’s someone else’s nickname for you,” Spike complained as she treated him.

“You’ve always got Futurama,” she said cajolingly.

“That is something.”

***

“So, it was the dragon’s home to start with and the people put it to sleep for thousands of years?” Dawn asked.

“Well,” the Doctor said, tugging at his ear. “I suppose you could put it like that. The people migrated here and the dragon was less than welcoming. They had technology that manipulated the dragon’s telepathic field and made it in constant need of sleep, hibernating it, if you will. The technology and controls were lost after the migration, but everything was still in place until the explorers tripped the control matrix and everything was undone when they brought it back. Shame and pity.”

“It was going to kill you,” Martha reminded him.

“Yeah, I know.” The Doctor was always quiet after he couldn’t save someone, even if it had tried to destroy him. “Everyone had a good tour then? Right, back home you go.”

“This was so cool,” Dawn said. “Even if I didn’t get to fight the dragon, this place is full of amazing stuff.”

“Eventually you’ll all be able to come here without my Tardis. Well, not right here seeing as it’s in your past, but you get the drift.”

It was a short trip home in the Tardis. Despite the fact that they’d had an amazing trip, they were glad to get home. Xander had seen enough blood and guts to last him a lifetime, well, not that he hadn’t already, but it was a little much to take in all at one time. Giles’ eyes and brain hurt. Buffy and Spike’s bodies were battered and Willow had smoke inhalation and power drainage to deal with.

“Next stop, Earth. Thanks for traveling with us. Choose us again, etc.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Buffy said. “It’s kinda nice to be reminded there’re more people than just us protecting the universe.”

“My pleasure,” he said earnestly, hugging her. 

“Doc,” Spike said, dragging him aside. “When I, when she…I’m still a vampire and I’ll-”

“Spike, I don’t think next time, but maybe the time after next after next I see you, you can come with me. Timelines, gotta stay in line, or I’ll never have met you in the first place, but you’re welcome aboard my Tardis anytime. She misses you. Both of them.”

“And you?”

“Course I do, can’t be the only handsome man aboard this ship, not good for my ego.”

Spike grinned.

“It’s too big at that. I’ll take it down a peg, yeah?” He turned to Martha and gave her a hug. “Careful there, Futurama. Heal hearts, don’t break them.”

“Take care of your own,” Martha told him. “We’ll see you again.”

More goodbyes were said and the Doctor started to feel antsy. 

“Come on, Martha, schedule to keep.”

The Tardis vanished and everyone went about their business. It had been no time since they’d left. 

“Doctor finally got the timing right,” Spike muttered. 

He caught Buffy’s waist with his hands and kissed her thoroughly. 

“I’m glad you won’t always be alone,” she said softly. “When I’m gone.”

“You’re gonna live a long life if I have anything to say about it,” he said.

“Say away,” she said, returning his kiss fervently.

***

“Is it time?” Martha asked. “He’s waited so long.”

“About time, I think. Still, this was all his plan. Said he’d worked it all out and I ran it through my superior Timelord eyes and it was right. He needed us, and it was a bit of fun, manipulating for good.”

“And he’s good for us,” Martha said. “You’re too broody for your own good.”

“And you can’t really see yourself, my brilliant Martha. Definitely brings out the best in us.”

The Tardis groaned to a stop and Martha opened the door. Spike trooped in, hauling a bag of stuff, still wearing the same coat.

“I’ve been waiting for bloody ever. Let’s go, yeah?”


End file.
